Nikki Jean’s most known for her work alongside Lupe Fiasco, but now she’s doing her own thing. With a new EP slated for fall, the singer debuts the new track “Summertime Girl,” produced by Double-O, and it’s a-hammock-plus-two-shade-trees music, dreamy tunes meant to be played while spending time kicked back relaxing with that special someone of the season. None of it may not last forever but music like “Summertime Girl” will help in the making of memories that will.

Nikki Jean and Dice Raw and a singer named Khari Mahteen had a dope band called “Nouveau Riche (New Money)” about 5 or 6 years ago. They dropped 2 EPs that I still bump on. Really progessive ish. Shame they never blew up. They disbanded after the 2nd EP. Here they are below, if you want ‘em. Don’t mind the fact that they’re older projects–they still sound fresh.

I was doing some digital crate digging for loosies for a Best of Black Thought non-Roots album mix (I cheat and use “Hard Times” off the Roots/Legend project though, it was too good to pass up and that album’s real slept on) and I stumbled upon a Nikki Jean track, “Million Star Motel”, with features from Lupe and Thought. It’s no one’s best work but still worth checking for, but I have zero info on it. Anyone else heard it? Any idea if it’s going to be on this EP- the beat sounds modern enough, but Lupe drops “Love Always Shines Everytime” which would put it around LASERS time period of turn of the decade.

And @Black Canseco, good look on the Nouveau Riche material. I vaguely remember hearing about it years ago and never followed up, but I really like Dice’s mixtapes from around that period (he did one that’s all Dilla beats, Dice Dilla Pregunta, that is particularly nice) and Khari sounded good on the Money Making Jam Boys tape (plus had a beat or two on there IIRC). Definitely d/ling.